Saturday Song: Harry Chapin, "Thirty-Thousand Pounds of Bananas"

This song about a real event sounds comical but it was no laughing matter for a certain truck driver. He descended the hill going into Scranton, Pennsylvania when his brakes failed.

Ever the storyteller, Harry Chapin immortalized this hapless driver in a song. Listen to it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGldNpngDws

Death is the most-feared event for people, generally speaking. It ranks even higher than public speaking. In fact, most folks would rather not think about their impending demise.

Even so, death stalks us all. As James 4:13 and 14 (BBE) reminds us, "How foolish it is to say, Today or tomorrow we will go into this town, and be there for a year and do business there and get wealth: When you are not certain what will take place tomorrow. What is your life? It is a mist, which is seen for a little time and then is gone."

The reason we are all headed for death is because of Adam and Eve's disobedience of God's single prohibition for them. Genesis 2:16 and 17 (BBE) states, "And the Lord God gave the man orders, saying, 'You may freely take of the fruit of every tree of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you may not take; for on the day when you take of it, death will certainly come to you.'"

From that terrible day of disobedience onward, we all dwindle and eventually die. Death is also the payment for the work of sin. As Paul noted in Romans 6:23 (KJV) "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

A day will come when death will be no more. Revelation 21:3 and 4 (BBE) reminds us who have placed our faith in Christ, "And there came to my ears a great voice out of the high seat, saying, 'See, the Tent of God is with men, and he will make his living-place with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them, and be their God.' And he will put an end to all their weeping; and there will be no more death, or sorrow, or crying, or pain; for the first things have come to an end."

But those who resist God to their deaths will suffer a terrible fate. Revelation 20:14 (BBE) warns, "And death and Hell were put into the sea of fire. This is the second death, even the sea of fire."

On Monday, I hope to publish a post about why Christ is called the Lion of Judah.